Human coronaviruses (HCV) in two serogroups represented by HCV-229E and HCV-OC43 are an important cause of upper respiratory tract infections. Here we report that human aminopeptidase N, a cell-surface metalloprotease on intestinal, lung and kidney epithelial cells, is a receptor for human coronavirus strain HCV-229E, but not for HCV-OC43. A monoclonal antibody, RBS, blocked HCV-229E virus infection of human lung fibroblasts, immunoprecipitated aminopeptidase N and inhibited its enzymatic activity. HCV-229E-resistant murine fibroblasts became susceptible after transfection with complementary DNA encoding human aminopeptidase N. By contrast, infection of human cells with HCV-OC43 was not inhibited by antibody RBS and expression of aminopeptidase N did not enhance HCV-OC43 replication in mouse cells. A mutant aminopeptidase lacking the catalytic site of the enzyme did not bind HCV-229E or RBS and did not render murine cells susceptible to HCV-229E infection, suggesting that the virus-binding site may lie at or near the active site of the human aminopeptidase molecule.

The cellular receptor for murine coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV)-A59 is a member of the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) family of glycoproteins in the immunoglobulin superfamily. We isolated a cDNA clone (MHVR1) encoding the MHV receptor. The sequence of this clone predicts a 424-amino-acid glycoprotein with four immunoglobulinlike domains, a transmembrane domain, and a short intracytoplasmic tail. MHVR, is closely related to the murine CEA-related clone mmCGM, (Mus musculus carcinoembryonic antigen gene family member). Western blot (immunoblot) analysis performed with antireceptor antibodies detected a glycoprotein of 120 kDa in BHK cells stably transfected with MHVR,. This corresponds to the size of the MHV receptor expressed in mouse intestine and liver. Human and hamster fibroblasts transfected with MHVR1 became susceptible to infection with MHV-A59. Like MHV-susceptible mouse fibroblasts, the MHVR,-transfected human and hamster cells were protected from MHV infection by pretreatment with monoclonal antireceptor antibody CCL. Thus, the 110to 120-kDa CEA-related glycoprotein encoded by

Mouse hepatitis virus-A59 (MHV-A59), a murine coronavirus, can utilize as a cellular receptor MEIVR, a murine glycoprotein in the biliary glycoprotein (BGP) subfamily of the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) family in the immunoglobulin superfamily (G.

Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) strain A59 uses as cellular receptors members of the carcinoembryonic antigen family in the immunoglobulin superfamily. Recombinant receptor proteins with deletions of whole or partl immunogbulin domains were used to identify the regions of receptor Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) strain A59 is a coronavirus that infects the respiratory and digestive tracts and nervous system of susceptible strains of mice (1, 2). Antireceptor monoclonal antibody (mAb) CC1 blocks MHV-A59

The expression of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-related glycoproteins that have been associated with intercellular adhesion and that serve as receptors for mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) was analyzed in cells from the immune system of BALB/c mice using immunolabeling and RNA polymerase chain reaction amplification of receptor transcripts. These glycoproteins, which are called biliary glycoproteins, were highly expressed in B lymphocytes, including cells of the B-1a (CD5+) lineage, and in macrophages, but were not detectable in resting T lymphocytes. Similarly, murine cell lines of B cell and macrophage origin expressed messenger RNA encoding CEA-related molecules, while the corresponding mRNA was only slightly detectable in a T cell line. These CEA-related cell adhesion glycoproteins were also expressed in endothelial cells. Therefore, their specific interaction with their so far unknown ligand may be of functional importance in cellular interactions in the immune response. Monoclonal antibody directed against these glycoproteins blocked MHV-A59 infection of the B cell-derived SP20 cell line. Thus, the functional receptors for MHV on B lymphocytes, like those on murine fibroblasts, are isoforms of CEA-related glycoproteins. Treatment of B cells with anti-receptor antibody also blocked B cell-mediated cytotoxicity against MHV-A59-infected fibroblasts, indicating that this phenomenon is mediated by interaction of viral attachment protein on the infected target cells with specific CEA-related receptor glycoproteins on the effector B cells.

The primary cellular receptor for mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), a murine coronavirus, is MHVR (also referred to as Bgp1a or C-CAM), a transmembrane glycoprotein with four immunoglobulin-like domains in the murine biliary glycoprotein (Bgp) subfamily of the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) family. Other murine glycoproteins in the Bgp subfamily, including Bgp1b and Bgp2, also can serve as MHV receptors when transfected into MHV-resistant cells. Previous studies have shown that the 108-amino-acid N-terminal domain of MHVR is essential for virus receptor activity and is the binding site for monoclonal antibody (MAb) CC1, an antireceptor MAb that blocks MHV infection in vivo and in vitro. To further elucidate the regions of MHVR required for virus receptor activity and MAb CC1 binding, we constructed chimeras between MHVR and other members of the CEA family and tested them for MHV strain A59 (MHV-A59) receptor activity and MAb CC1 binding activity. In addition, we used site-directed mutagenesis to introduce selected amino acid changes into the N-terminal domains of MHVR and these chimeras and tested the abilities of these mutant glycoproteins to bind MAb CC1 and to function as MHV receptors. Several recombinant glycoproteins exhibited virus receptor activity but did not bind MAb CC1, indicating that the virus and MAb binding sites on the N-terminal domain of MHVR are not identical. Analysis of the recombinant glycoproteins showed that a short region of MHVR, between amino acids 34 and 52, is critical for MHV-A59 receptor activity. Additional regions of the N-terminal variable domain and the constant domains, however, greatly affected receptor activity. Thus, the molecular context in which the amino acids critical for MHV-A59 receptor activity are found profoundly influences the virus receptor activity of the glycoprotein.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a prevalent human virus whose replication requires factors provided by a coinfecting helper virus. AAV can establish latent infections in vitro by integration of the AAV genome into cellular DNA. To study the process of integration as well as the rescue of AAV replication in latently infected cells after superinfection with a helper virus, we established a panel of independently derived latently infected cell clones. KB cells were infected with a high multiplicity of AAV in the absence of helper virus, cloned, and passaged to dilute out input AAV genomes. AAV DNA replication and protein synthesis were rescued from more than 10% of the KB cell clones after superinfection with adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) or herpes simplex virus types 1 or 2. In the absence of helper virus, there was no detectable expression of AAV-specific RNA or proteins in the latently infected cell clones. AdS superinfection also resulted in the production of infectious AAV in most cases. All mutant adenoviruses tested that were able to help AAV DNA replication in a coinfection were also able to rescue AAV from the latently infected cells, although one mutant, Ad5hr6, was less efficient at AAV rescue. Analysis of high-molecular-weight cellular DNA indicated that AAV sequences were integrated into the cell genome. The restriction enzyme digestion patterns of the cellular DNA were consistent with colinear integration of the AAV genome, with the viral termini present at the cell-virus junction. In addition, many of the cell lines appeared to contain head-to-tail concatemers of the AAV genome. The understanding of the integration of AAV DNA is increasingly important since AAV-based vectors have many advantages for gene transduction in vitro and in vivo.

Because many strains of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) infect laboratory mice, no effective vaccine has yet been developed. An alternative approach to control MHV disease is the use of a host cell receptor-targeted ligand. To address the potential usefulness of this approach, a monoclonal antibody directed against the host cell receptor for the coronavirus MHV-A59 was administered to infant mice that were then challenged oronasally with 10(4) intracerebral infant mouse median lethal doses of MHV-A59. Antibody treatment of virus-challenged mice resulted in lower proportions of mice with MHV-A59 in target organs and markedly reduced viral titers in these organs compared with mock-treated infected mice. Some antibody-treated infected mice survived for 7 days after viral challenge, whereas no mock-treated, infected mice survived beyond day 3 after viral inoculation. These results support a receptor-targeted approach to intervention in coronavirus disease.